France offers asylum to 150 Iraqi Christians

France offered to grant asylum to 150 Iraqi Christians, including some of those wounded in Sunday's deadly siege on a Baghdad church, The Associated Press reported.
French Immigration Minister Eric Besson said the decision is in accordance with France's tradition as a safe haven for persecuted minorities. Besson said in a statement late Monday that France has been taking in Iraqi Christians since 2007. Some 1,300 Iraqi Christians have received asylum under the program, which is run jointly with the United Nations refugee agency.
Sunday's attack on the Our Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad killed 58 people and wounded 78. The Islamic State of Iraq, which has links to al-Qaida in Iraq, appeared to claim responsibility for the attack.
Grieving and fearful mourners in Baghdad were Tuesday burying dozens of Christians, including two priests.
Security forces escorted the funeral convoy to the Saint Joseph Chaldean church in Baghdad's Karrada neighborhood as mourners held up portraits of the dead priests as well as Iraqi flags.
The memorial service at Saint Joseph church was for all the victims of the bloodbath but not all of the dead were being buried Tuesday at the same location, Agence France-Presse reported.
Witnesses said that heavily armed militants burst into the church during Sunday mass and took about 80 worshippers hostage. The hostage drama ended with a raid by Iraqi special forces, while the U.S. military provided an advisory role.
Pope Benedict XVI denounced the militants' assault as "ferocious," the White House condemned it as "senseless" and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said it harkened back to the days of sectarian warfare between Muslim sects.

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